# Stonehaven, the Scarlet Pimpernel of Tobacco



## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

As Percy Blakeney might have put it, "They seek it here, they seek it there, / Those puffers seek it everywhere. / Is it in stock, or is it all taken? / That damned elusive Stonehaven!"

How is it that I came by this nearly black flake, never mind a 2004 vintage? Mister Moo, in a pitiless act of forum sabotage, carpet bombed me with countless bags of weapons grade flake a while back, from Stonehaven to Escudo. Reading the bag upside down and from the other side of the plastic, I had thought I saw a "6", for "2006", but no. Mister Moo, with a punishing high-yield payload, had sent me "the good stuff". 

One hesitates to tackle a review of Stonehaven, for fear of moderators shutting down the thread lest religious arguments ensue, but I'll brave it nonetheless. I must say, I could be a convert.

The dark brown, stringy flakes were perfectly dried already (of course, what else?) and smoked equally well as flakes or rubbed out. The flakes are probably best in a small bore, but rubbed out they smoked magnificently in my Two Dot apple. I would feel like a glutton to load up a pot with it.

It takes a couple of lights, but once it starts cooking it sends out ample smoke, easily maintained at a slow simmer. Taking no chances, like a Belgian diamond cutter with a raw stone, I applied the wooden tamper with delicate twists to maintain a perfect draw. I was rewarded with a constantly changing flavor down the bowl.

Tasting the tobacco through the pipe before lighting put me in mind of chocolate, but I don't know that there is really any chocolate in the topping or not. The fresh tobacco also smells like dark chocolate to me, however there seemed to be variety of flavors in it once lit, sensations of this and that, fleeting, ever-changing, a hint of caramel -- is that oranges? Who knows? I have no idea what it tastes like, frankly. Conceivably it tastes like nothing but Stonehaven. Since one can see patches of crystallized sugar on the flakes, I don't think I'd be wrong in calling it a sweet smoke, in more ways than one.

Rich and full at the start, midbowl it becomes (at least in the rubbed out form) a bit sharp, no doubt the Virginia kicking in. The casing on the burley would most likely provide the large pallet of flavors. It could be the hit of nicotine that softens the rest of the smoke, but for whatever reason, the smoothness returns for the remainder of the bowl.

Perhaps it was the aging, perhaps a perfect moisture level, maybe the excellence of the Sasieni pipe, but it smoked cool and dry for me. I have heard complaints of a wet dottle, overheating, tongue bite...one can only wonder. I emptied nothing but ash and two or three tiny, charred shards. I do not possess a "leather tongue", despite which I have yet to experience any bite at all from Stonehaven.

Certainly one of the best tobaccos I've run across. I am very grateful that Mister Moo gave me a chance at it!


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

Very nice review!:wink:
Great hit Mister Moo!:yo:


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## RJpuffs (Jan 27, 2008)

Yeah! All Hail the Moo! (and bump his Bovine Gauge). :first:


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